A consultation was held today in the Government, chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, during which the Strategic Plan 2025-2027 for combating the non-medical use and illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and the actions arising from it were presented.

Minister of Internal Affairs Arpine Sargsyan noted in her speech that the Strategic Plan has gone through numerous stages of development and, in essence, it is intended that it will be a single document that will summarize the tasks of all actors in the sector.

Before addressing the Strategic Plan, details were presented on the statistical data on the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in the world and in Armenia. It was also emphasized that the Strategic Plan allows for a more comprehensive approach to the problem, as it also includes a public health component.

Thus, the stages and the goals of the development of the Strategic Plan were presented, which are: prevention of the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for non-medical purposes, combating illicit drug trafficking, ensuring medical care, socio-psychological support, reintegration and public health protection. Details were presented on the steps planned towards the above-mentioned goals. Accordingly, it is planned to raise awareness of the population, create an administrative database on persons using or trafficking drugs, ensuring traceability, improving the legislative framework related to legal circulation, and establishing restrictions for persons using illicit drugs.

Within the framework of the fight against drug trafficking, it is planned to prevent the illegal import of drugs through smuggling, increase the effectiveness of operational-intelligence activities and preliminary investigations, prevent the illegal circulation of drugs through the Internet, develop the capacities of competent bodies and organizations, and strengthen cooperation.

In the direction of socio-psychological rehabilitation, it is planned to provide treatment, rehabilitation and harm reduction services, ensure public health, manage sustainable recovery and social integration.
The participants of the meeting exchanged ideas on individual points of the program, presented their observations and recommendations on the goals of the strategy, and steps aimed at their implementation.

Summing up the discussion, the Prime Minister highlighted the political direction that the strategy gives to the relevant bodies. According to Nikol Pashinyan, the main task of the strategy should be to answer the question of what the main direction of attack is: import, production, distribution or consumption. “I think that the direction of our attack should be import and production,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the targets should be clarified and all policies should be adjusted in accordance with this logic. The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of classifying drugs according to their dangerousness and instructed to carry out work in these directions.